Mississippi City Balks at Insurance Settlement for Hail Damage

Officials in McComb, Mississippi have hired a consultant to review its damage claims from a 2013 hail storm.

City Administrator Quordiniah Lockley and City Clerk Jeannette Butler told The Enterprise-Journal that the $154,000 offered by EMC Insurance to settle the claim won’t cover the damage for one building must less others.

The board of selectman voted 4-1 to hire New Path Consultants to evaluate hail damage and work with EMC Insurance to get the most money possible.

“We need this set of eyes to help us work through this process to get satisfactory success from the damage from the hail storm,” said Mayor Whitney Rawlings.

The city will hire the company on an hourly basis, with a clause not to exceed $100,000. Rawlings said it’s a worthwhile expenditure. Should this contract not net a penny for the city, taxpayers are still up $5.9 million due to the $6 million-plus settlement New Path got the McComb School District for the hail damage, he said.

“I recommend we put these people to work and we resolve the claims with our insurance provider,” he said.

Selectman Michael Cameron said he voted against the measure because he didn’t believe the city gave the insurance company or the adjuster the chance to redo the claim, and he said the $100,000 cap makes him nervous.

“I’m uncomfortable about it,” he said. “That’s what it boils down to.”